10 Must-buy Japanese Dagashi Snacks and Candies

Have you ever heard of “Dagashi (駄菓子)”? Dagashi is the generic name for cheap and relatively small Japanese snacks and candies.Therefore, the Japanese snacks and candies known generally as “junk foods” are popular with children in particular, but many adults, including me, also like eating Dagashi.

Speaking of long-selling Dagashi items, there are a bunch of famous Dagashi products with decades of history in Japan, which are familiar to many Japanese because many of the adults who don’t eat Dagashi at present used to buy and eat those snacks and candies.

10 Must-buy Japanese Dagashi Snacks and Candies

Thus, today let me introduce 10 must-buy nostalgic Japanese Dagashi snacks and candies that have been loved and widely enjoyed by many Japanese people from children to adults.

1. Black Thunder (chocolate candy bar)

Black Thunder is a popular Japanese chocolate candy that was released in 1994.Over one hundred million Black thunder chocolate are sold each year in Japan.It is a bar-shaped chocolate candy like a rock lump, which consists of cocoa cookie bits embedded throughout the mixture of cocoa powder and chocolate.

2. Morinaga Ramune (soda candy)

Morinaga Ramune is a famous Japanese soda candy, which went on the market several decades ago.The white tablet is a simple candy.90% of the food ingredient consists of glucose.The other ingredient mainly includes tapioca starch and milk calcium.Nevertheless, it has a refreshing, pleasant taste and a nice texture that melts in the mouth.

3. Baby Star Ramen (deep-fried noodle snack)

Baby Star Ramen is a long-selling Japanese deep-fried noodle snack, which was released in 1959.There are 4 flavors in the series and the chicken flavor is the original one.The crispy dried noodles are short in length so they are easy to eat and of course tasty.

4. Kabayaki-san Taro (fish-paste snack)

Kabayaki-san Taro is a famous fish paste Dagashi snack that I used to eat a lot when I was a kid.Considering that, I think several decades have passed since this snack went on the market.It is a salty-sweet fish paste (walleye pollack) snack with a pretty hard and tough texture, which is seasoned mainly with squid’s flavoring, Mirin sweet cooking rice wine, and soy sauce.

5. Tirol Choco (chocolate candy)

Tirol Choco is one of the best-selling chocolate candies in Japan.The original flavor went on the market in 1962, and since then more than 300 flavors have been created.If you go to convenience stores in Japan, you will see unique flavors of Tirol Choco being sold there.It is fun to search for various kinds and try.

6. Oyatsu Karupasu (beef jerky snack)

Oyatsu Karupasu is a popular Japanese beef jerky snack.Though this beef jerky is so cheap, being sold for 10 yen per piece in Japan, it is delicious and addictive.Besides, this snack is soft and not spicy, so it is a recommended item as a treat for children.What is better, since this beef jerky Dagashi snack goes perfect with alcoholic drinks like beer, adults can also enjoy it.

7. Butamen (mini instant cup ramen)

Butamen is a popular Japanese mini instant cup ramen known as Dagashi for kids.This pork bone broth ramen, or Tonkotsu ramen is the original product of the Butamen series.Even though this ramen is a Dagashi, it is tasty and has an addicting taste that comes from umami of pork bone.Therefore, even adults can enjoy it when a little bit hungry.

8. Marukawa Marble Gum (small fruit chewing gum)

Marukawa Marble Gum is a long-selling Japanese chewing gum, which makes me feel nostalgic, because I used to buy it a lot in my childhood.The fisrt product in the series was released in 1959.It is a small chewing gum ball coated with thin colored sugar, and there are several fruit flavors in the series.A box of Marukawa’s fruit gum only costs 10 yen so it is especially popular among children.

9. Cut Yocchan (fish-and-squid-paste snack)

Cut Yocchan is a famous fish-and-squid paste Dagashi snack with several decades of history, which was one of my favorite Dagashi snacks in my childfood.It has a soft and chewy texture and is flavored with vinegar sauce.Although there are many variations of fish paste Dagashi snacks in Japan, Cut Yocchan is a must-buy among them.

10. Umaibo (corn puff snack bar)

Umaibo is one of the most popular Dagashi snacks in Japan and even in the world, so this Dagashi snack is known as “The King of Dagashi”.As you may know, Umaibo is a corn puff snack bar with a slightly hard texture and comes in various unique flavors.This Dagashi is available for just 10 yen in Japan, but it is really yummy and filling.From the above, most Dagashi lovers will most likely think that Umaibo is a must-buy Dagashi snack.